Google Maps was initially meant to be an app that allowed users to get directions online, but it quickly diversified into a wider range of offerings because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up making it more useful to the average user. In spite of the fact that this is the case, not all of the features that Google Maps have offered have been useful strictly speaking, and the review feature is a good example.
With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that Google might be trying to remove its review gating policy on Google Maps. Review gating basically refers to any attempt to dissuade customers from leaving bad reviews and encouraging or incentivizing them to leave good ones with all things having been considered and taken into account. The ban on review gating was meant to improve the quality of reviews and make them more reliable, but it seems that Google is trying to entice business owners by removing this policy.
However, despite initial appearances it seems like the removal of this policy is not quite as business user oriented as one may have thought. The Federal Trade Commission has recently cracked down on review gating, which makes having a policy on this less useful for Google than might have been the case otherwise. Google also has a separate fake engagement policy which covers much of the same ground that the review gating policy did, so this might just be an attempt on Google’s part to strip its usage policy down in the interests of making it more concise.
Whatever the case may be, any change to Google’s user policy is important since it can impact that the direction that the tech juggernaut might be headed in. It is interesting to see Google slimming its usage policy down, since this indicates that the company is attempting to make it clearer which is markedly different from how other tech companies try to bury the facts in pointless legalese that most users can’t read.
Read next: Google Search Tests Out New Label for Short Articles
With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that Google might be trying to remove its review gating policy on Google Maps. Review gating basically refers to any attempt to dissuade customers from leaving bad reviews and encouraging or incentivizing them to leave good ones with all things having been considered and taken into account. The ban on review gating was meant to improve the quality of reviews and make them more reliable, but it seems that Google is trying to entice business owners by removing this policy.
Compare:https://t.co/e7Ra22oLK5 https://t.co/Ulc22xbySP
— Chris Silver Smith (@si1very) August 22, 2022
However, despite initial appearances it seems like the removal of this policy is not quite as business user oriented as one may have thought. The Federal Trade Commission has recently cracked down on review gating, which makes having a policy on this less useful for Google than might have been the case otherwise. Google also has a separate fake engagement policy which covers much of the same ground that the review gating policy did, so this might just be an attempt on Google’s part to strip its usage policy down in the interests of making it more concise.
Whatever the case may be, any change to Google’s user policy is important since it can impact that the direction that the tech juggernaut might be headed in. It is interesting to see Google slimming its usage policy down, since this indicates that the company is attempting to make it clearer which is markedly different from how other tech companies try to bury the facts in pointless legalese that most users can’t read.
Read next: Google Search Tests Out New Label for Short Articles
